At a news conference Monday, Aug. 20, Ehud Barak warned that the Israeli Defense Forces are in no fit condition to uphold its security missions which he defined as deterrence, early warning and victory. The plan Barak put forward includes reconstituting two disbanded reservist divisions, improving tank armor against missiles and an active missile interception system to protect the population against cross-border enemy rocket attack.More details from debkafile's military analysts in the article below.

Sderot parents to boycott schools over government's failure to fortify classrooms against daily Palestinian missiles. The Parents Committee cite the High Court of Justice ruling last school year ordering the government to fortify every classroom within missile range of the Gaza Strip by Sept. 1 when the new school year begins. The ruling applied to the thousands of pupils of Sderot and 10 smaller Negev communities.

Three Qassam missiles were fired against Kerem Shalom gateway Sunday as more than 130 trucks carried milk, fruit, sugar, flour and equipment for the next school year. Trucks carrying 100,000 liters of heavy fuel were halted on the Israeli side of the reopened Nahal Oz crossing by the European Community's refusal to put up funds. The crossing had been closed by a terror alert for four days.debkafile reports that all the crossings into Gaza are constantly battered by Palestinian missiles and mortars.

Since the beginning of the week, Israel's top military commanders have been poring over the situation of the Israeli Defense Forces in a workshop called by Ehud Barak who took over as defense minister two months ago. Some of their most alarming findings were presented by Barak at his first news conference in Tel Aviv Monday, Aug. 21 in advance of the ministry's presentation of its budget requirements. They have left Israel's armed forces deprived of the three security capabilities which Barak deems essential to Israel's survival in a hostile environment: deterrence, early warning and victory. To restore these capabilities, Barak outlined a program, the highlights of which are to reconstitute two disbanded reservist divisions, improve tank armor to withstand armor-piercing missiles and effective, active interception measures to protect the population against enemy rocket fire. debkafile's analysts note that, for the present, the IDF offers early warning - but not deterrence.

As expected, former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu won an overwhelming 73% of his party's support, compared with the nationalist Moshe Feiglin's 23% and Danny Danin's 3.5%. The turnout was 40% of the registered 95,000 members, a considerable feat in a midsummer poll. But when it came to his victory announcement - "The Likud's journey back to the Prime Minister's Office has begun -" it transpired that the venue had been shifted and bouncers instructed to keep Feiglin and his supporters out of the hall.

debkafile's military sources report that the delay in Maj. Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky's scheduled departure as Deputy Chief of Staff, announced by the IDF spokesman Wednesday night, Aug 15, is connected with the war tensions on Israel's northern and Gaza borders and renewed threats from Iran. Barak inspected the IDF preparations on the northern front Wednesday the day after he escorted prime minister Ehud Olmert on a visit to the northern command. Both stressed that Israel does not seek war,and were echoed by Syria's vice president Farouk a- Shara.

More than 100 suspected terrorists detained for questioning, half released later.The Golani Brigade troops clashed with Palestinian Hamas gunmen who opened fire during a raid on the villages of Qarara and Abassan east of Khan Younes and close to the Israeli border. The force continues to operate in the area, backed by helicopters and tanks. Overnight, the Israeli Air Force carried out three air strikes on armed Palestinians, killing at least one member of Hamas military wing.

They have been identified as Yehiel Rosenfeld, David Cochavi, Yitzhak Hamami and Yehoshua Lustig. The close kin of the fifth soldier has not yet been informed. The remains of the five Israeli soldiers who died in Israel's War of Independence were found at El Arish in northern Sinai.

Hatib died in an exchange of fire after he shot and grabbed the sidearm of an Israeli guard who was seriously wounded. Ten people were injured in an exchange of fire as the second guard chased him through the crowded Street of the Christians. Hatib arrived in Jerusalem by a bus the Israeli Islamic Movement chartered for Friday worship on Temple Mount.

Five youngsters were detained, 27 people were injured, after hundreds threw stones and oil at the thousands of police, border guards and soldiers mobilized for the evacuation. The occupants, two families who claimed the two stores were formerly Jewish property, did not resist eviction.

Four medals will be awarded posthumously. Thirty-four citations will be conferred by the chief of staff, including 12 Medals for Distinguished Service and 6 Medals of Valor. One posthumous Medal of Valor for exceptional courage will be handed to the family of the late Maj. Roi Klein, 31, from the West Bank Eli community. In command of the 51st Golani battalion, he saved the lives of members of his unit by throwing himself on a live grenade. The remaining citations will be conferred in ceremonies in the various combat units.

Friday, they fired five mortar rounds, then laid an explosive device near Kerem Shalom in the south. IDF fire detonated the device. Two Qassam missiles exploded outside the Sufa crossing. Another two later Friday.On the West Bank, Palestinian gunmen fired at an Israeli patrol at Beit Jala in southern Jerusalem. No one was hurt.

His resignation tendered to the chief of staff Thursday, July 26, was formally termed a "request to terminate his term of duty." debkafile notes: Maj. Gen, Bassat never in the year since the Lebanon War assumed responsibility for attack by a Hizballah shore-to-ship C-802 missile which killed four seamen aboard the Israeli Hanit missile ship and damaged the vessel in the early days of the war. An official inquiry established that the Hanit had not been prepared for battle any more than other units of the navy. Navy command first learned that the ship had been hit from debkafile.

The panel of five High Court justices, headed by Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, granted the state 21 days to explain how charges of rape included in the original indictment came to be removed from the plea bargain accord negotiated by state attorney Menahem Mazuz. Jail time for Katzav was thus reduced to a suspended sentence.

Likud MK Gideon Saar criticized the silent posture of defense minister Ehud Barak Sunday. In view of the constant missile attacks from Gaza on Israeli schools, and accumulating Hamas stocks of war materiel, Saar urged swift and effective action against the Palestinian terrorist organizations operating out of Gaza. Thursday, July 19, a senior Israeli officer warned that the window of opportunity for cutting down Hamas' growing army is fast closing.

All three missiles exploded after school hours - fortunately because neither school is fortified to withstand missile attack and casualties were light although the damage was heavy. The local council head invited PM Ehud Olmert to come and see for himself why it was necessary to fortify the schools. At the cabinet meeting in Jerusalem earlier Sunday, July 22, Olmert scathingly dismissed what he called excessive concern over the fortifying of towns targeted regularly for Palestinian missile attack from Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister said Friday that unilateral steps and the evacuation of communities are not on the agenda - only negotiations with the Palestinians on an agreed settlement. Negotiations with Arab governments, including Syria, must be direct and not subject to pre-conditions, he said. Olmert rejected the High Court's injunction to fortify Sderot schools opposite Gaza in time for the next school year as outside the court's brief.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert freed them in a gesture of support for Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Most were Fatah members convicted for terrorist acts. They also included Popular Front deputy leader Abdel Rahum Maloukh, whose organization was responsible for the assassination of Israeli minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. One was held back for a further security check. A High Court majority of judges rejected a petition against the release filed by Almagor, an organization representing victims of Palestinian terror.